2 / NEWS
THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013 / NEWSRECORD.ORG
Diversity conference brings community together
MADISON SCHMIDT CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Bleuzette Marshall, interim chief diversity officer, speaking at Tuesday’s diversity conference in the alumni center.
Students, faculty mingle at annual event, discuss recent controversies BECKY BUTTS | ONLINE EDITOR
Students and faculty of all races and cultures filled the Russell C. Myers Alumni Center Tuesday to celebrate diversity as a community. “This is a way for us to build relationships with each other across cultures and communities,” said Bleuzette
Marshall, interim chief diversity officer. UC’s Diversity Council hosts the event once a semester to provide networking opportunities and to introduce new members to the community. UC President Santa Ono welcomed new community members and iterated UC’s commitment to make everyone feel safe and included despite racial and cultural differences. “Diversity takes work, we are not a perfect institution,” Ono said. “I, as an individual, and we, as an institution, are 100 percent committed to moving forward
with the steps in our diversity plan.” After filling their plates with free food, attendees casually roamed the room to socialize. “It’s a good place to touch hands and meet people,” said Cierra Carter, a first-year sociology and Spanish student and recipient of the Darwin T. Turner Scholarship. Carter and other Turner scholars were required to attend the diversity reception and introduce themselves to the room. Diversity and acceptance have been hot topics at UC since a racist cartoon about McMicken College of Arts & Sciences Dean Ronald Jackson circulated around campus. In response to the cartoon, university leaders have scheduled a series of events to address racial issues. “It’s unfortunate that it took an incident such as the cartoon to spark a conversation,” said Joe Blizzard, student body president. “But now I feel as though the university is on the right track.” Despite the events, some students said more could be done to combat issues of race on campus. Combatting these issues is a matter of “dialogue versus action taken,” said Rosie Macedo, a third-year business economics students and Habari Gani Ambassador for the African American Cultural Center. The events make those in attendance aware, Macedo said, but more needs to be done to reach those that typically don’t come. “Diversity is inclusion and acceptance regardless of who you are or where you come,” Macedo said.
Trustees vote to move forward with sale of Goodman parking garage ALEXIS O’BRIEN | CHIEF REPORTER
The University of Cincinnati’s Goodman Garage could be sold to UC Health in the coming months. The UC Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to negotiate a contract with UC Health regarding the sale of the garage that sits in front of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. “The [garage’s sale] would better allow us to grant optimal benefit to both organizations,” said Bob Ambach, vice president of administration and finance. The garage was appraised to be worth between $14.5 million and $15.5 million. “[The Board of Trustees granted] permission for myself and the general council to negotiate a sales contract within those market parameters, as well as a short term operating agreement,” Ambach said. The final version of the contract will be presented to the board and will also have to be approved by the State of Ohio. The state approval could take several months.
Chair of Faculty Senate addresses racist cartoon, free speech at board meeting Richard Miller asks community to engage in thought about words On or about Sept. 18, an unknown person posted a demeaning and racially insensitive cartoon about two A&S administrators in McMicken Hall. I joined the President, the Provost, the presidents of [Undergraduate Student Government] and GSGA and the deans in signing a statement calling for civil discourse on campus. It is important to note that nothing in the statement questioned anyone’s right to free speech, but rather we used our right of free speech to say that this type of attack crosses the boundary of what we consider just and fair. In response to this incident, President Ono, with the support of the university community, scheduled an excellent presentation on race by professor Michael Eric Dyson. This issue is important. However, I hope that we will not stop at only discussing issues of race. The point of our statement was the
FROM AGREEMENT PG 1
In the past, some CSTC transfer students have had trouble fully transferring certain credit hours to UC, but now, due to the articulation agreement, UC advisers will help CSTC students before they transfer. UC advisers will hold office space within Cincinnati State’s Academic Transfer Center to help CSTC students interested in attending UC after obtaining their associate degree. “It’s a great opportunity and collaborative effort for both Cincinnati State and the University of Cincinnati,”
need for civil discourse; the need to ask the question: Just because we CAN say something, should we? I think this is needed more today than ever. There used to be societal norms about what were proper and improper subjects of conversation. I recall when a friend of mine bought a new car. Since I was in the market for a car, I asked him how much it cost. His father became very upset with me for daring to ask such a question. These were considered personal questions that were, “None of your business.” These norms had their drawbacks, as important issues like addiction, poverty and domestic abuse were also considered “personal” and never discussed, but contrast this to today. How much personal information do many of our students voluntarily post on social media? How many of them have lost an employment opportunity over ill-advised posts? How will they feel in 15 years if their own children find some of this? The online magazine “The Onion” parodied this by stating that, due to things
already posted on Facebook, there are now no viable candidates for the 2032 election. Today, people don’t seem to have a filter, probably because on the Internet you can just post whatever you want and never really have to deal with the consequences of your actions. You never see that you’ve hurt someone’s feelings or that others disapprove of what you are saying. That human feedback to our remarks is what helps us create that filter and helps us see if our remarks are creating the effect we want. You don’t get that with the Internet, so perhaps we need to develop it a different way. The discussion we need to have is not about creating forms of external censorship, as some would advocate, but rather a form of self-censorship where individuals have the right to say something but, of their own free will, decide not to say it because they find that what they were going to say was not fair, just or likely to be effective. This does not mean that sometimes we cannot be harsh, critical or even hurt
someone’s feelings. Professor Dyson pointed out that criticizing someone or asking honest questions about performance is fair. What makes a civil discourse is not whether it is nice or pleasant, but rather does it address the action, or the person? Are we attacking what someone has done, or what they are? When speech is about what people do, we elevate it to its highest form where it informs, enlightens and seeks to solve problems. When speech is about what people are, it degenerates to schoolyard name-calling and not only is that ineffective, but that’s when the dangerous calls for external restriction start. So I hope we use this incident as a chance to have to conversation not just about the right of free speech, but the responsibility of free speech. I hope we engage the entire community in a discussion about the need to stop and think about what we are saying, so that our remarks are fair and effective because universities can only be about the free exchange of ideas if we actually spend our time talking about ideas.
said UC Provost Beverly Davenport. “It’s good for … Cincinnati and both of our institutions when we work together in ways that help our students.” Owens said UC has always been a partner to CSTC. But until this agreement, the institutions’ relationship was not formal. “I think it’s been like dating,” Owens said. “We’ve been dating, we’ve been engaged and today’s the marriage. And this will be one of those old fashioned marriages; that once you’ve made the commitment, it’s for a life time.” PHIL DIDION CHIEF REPORTER
UC President Santa Ono (left) signed an agreement with Cincinnati State making it easier for students to transfer.
FROM WISE PG 1
racism. “Racism creates a system of inequality that is so deep rooted and so normal that we don’t even realize that it’s happening,” he said. The speech also was the subject of protest from the Traditional Youth Network, a traditionalist youth-oriented Christian organization. Six protestors — including Matthew Heinbach, the organization’s founder — stood outside of campus holding picket signs and a Confederate flag. The organization has protested Wise’s speeches in the past. Their protest of his speech at Indiana State University the previous week turned violent when Thomas Buhls, the president of the Bloomington, Ind., chapter of the organization, was allegedly attacked. “We are trying to spread our messages that no one should be afraid, and that
each race should be allowed to fulfill their own destiny separately,” Heinbach said. “I started doing this because I am a Christian, and I feel that this is not only a racial issue, but a spiritual one.” One person, who was not seen with the TradYouth group protesting outside, confronted Wise during the Q&A after the speech. Wise commented about the film “Schindler’s List,” then the man stood up and said the film was fiction and began shouting, “You’re not even white; you’re a Jew.” UC Police removed the individual from the lecture hall. “As easy as it is for me to condemn those people down on the corner, I understand the desperation that causes someone to join a hate group or a street gang, and I feel sorry for them,” Wise said. The presentation was designed to be a free speech forum, where anyone could
talk about anything related to the issue at hand. The issues of gender bias, healthcare reform and the LGBT community were addressed. “To be around so many people who are likeminded, who are learning and experiencing and feeling much of the same things — and then to hear it articulated in such a powerful way — it was good,” said Bhumika Patel, a secondyear women’s studies student pursuing a master’s degree. “Sometimes I feel like in women’s studies that nobody talks about issues of gender or race,” she said. “But then to have such a huge audience like that, it was gratifying.” For an online photo gallery on the protest and the Tim Wise event, visit newsrecord.org.
FROM ARSON PG 1
MADISON SCHMIDT CHIEF REPORTER
Amijud Arabeiat and attorney Edward Kathman listen as Judge Robert Winkler explains the charge against Amijud.
@NEWSRECORD_UC
the investigating officers, the prosecution dropped the original felony charge of tampering with evidence to obstructing official business, a class-two misdemeanor. He could face up to 90 days in jail and a maximum fine of $750. Aiman was originally charged with two counts of aggravated arson but the prosecution decided to drop the first count. He could face a maximum sentence of eight years, along with a maximum fine of $15,000. Communicating through interpreter Serry Hassan, Aiman said he understood the terms of his admittance of guilt. Hamilton County Judge Robert Winkler informed Aiman, who is not a U.S. citizen, that he could be deported or denied citizenship in the future because of the guilty plea. He will also have to register as an arsonist with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Sentencing for both men is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 3.
FROM GEE PG 1
Cassady said nobody at UC has expressed concern over working with
CHIEF.NEWSRECORD@GMAIL.COM / 513.556.5908
PHIL DIDION PHOTO EDITOR
Gee, who came under fire in the spring from controversial comments he made about Catholics and the South Eastern Conference. Gee, who has a close relationship with UC President Santa Ono, resigned as OSU president during the summer. “Dr. Gee and I interact on a regular basis,” Ono said. “There’s no doubt we’re going to continue to interact.” Most of the trustees at Monday’s meeting we’re impressed with Gov. Kasich’s presentation, Cassady said. Since taking office in 2011, Kasich has taken a different approach to higher education, including a funding formula that rewards universities for graduation rates. “Gov. Kasich feels strongly that issues of quality and value are among the greatest challenges facing universities across Ohio and the nation as students and their families struggle with rising tuition and fees, increasing levels of debt and falling graduation rates,” according to a statement from the governor’s office. “Dr. Gee’s review will examine how Ohio can achieve higher quality to ensure the greatest value for its students and their families.”